My greetings to everyone here!
Three decades and the institution has traversed so much, so very impactful. And now when we are in Amrit Kaal, this institute is cut out for a quantum jump. I'm extremely delighted to be here on the occasion of 25th convocation. Congratulations to all the recipients, your parents, your friends. This is a moment to be ever cherished. It's a moment of pride for you, your family members and an occasion for you to contribute to the institutes where you will be going in the larger world.
This well deserved recognition comes with some kind of obligations. The obligations are two fold, one, for heaven's sake don't believe it is the end of learning. It is the beginning of learning but of a different nature. So never stop at learning. Never stop at getting knowledge. And secondly, from here your walk not as the students of this prestigious Institute but as its alumni.
I have been focusing on alumni status for a long time. This is indeed a befitting occasion for me to reflect. Alumni of our institutions are the world's most impactful, powerful reservoir of talent, we in this country need to structure it at a federation level.
All institutions have their alumni, your institute, IITs, IIMs and other universities, but if they have a national confederation of alumni, then in the task of policy formulation, contributions can be highly qualitative, providing cutting edge inputs and can help in transformormation of the nation.
Friends, I firmly believe that education is the only most effective, impactful transformational mechanism to bring about societal changes. Getting a good education is a privilege, which you all have availed. Time for you to reflect, think and give back to society. And I'm sure you will do that.
Let me share the joy of every Indian and your chairman was reflecting on that. Literally, he was on the moon and rightly so. Chandrayan-3's success has to be seen in a different perspective. One, the soft landing was so meticulous, it was for the first time that any country could get this honour of a soft landing on the south pole of the moon. We are in the big four, and in a matter of time we will be number one.
But I go back to the memory lane. I was Governor, West Bengal in 2019 at the time of Chandrayaan-2's landing, it was after midnight. I was there in Science City, in the company of young boys and girls.
We held our breath. It was 96% Success; 4% was not there. It was pin dropped silence. Boys and girls of impressionable age. I was there. We were in live connect on the screen with ISRO. Just then the Prime Minister of the country patted the Director, ISRO, congratulated him for 96% success. He stood like a rock behind the director and that is the situation we want in this country. That laid the foundation of this success.
Another instance, our women's hockey team performed excellently in Tokyo. The girls could not make it. All of them were sad. The Prime Minister talks to each one of them. Then and there. Tears in their eyes but the urge to succeed was there in their mind. अब समय आ गया है हमें भारतीय होने पर गर्व होना चाहिए। हम क्यों हर बार देखें हमारा गिलास आधा खाली है, अरे आधा भरा हुआ है, ऊपर तक भरेगा।
We will have to give up negativity. Our achievements are stupendous, phenomenal. Bear that in mind. But the most important impact of the scenario- there was the emergence of India in soft power diplomacy, all channels of the world, whether in the Middle East, in Europe or USA were focusing on that soft landing. Everyone was congratulating the Indian Prime Minister. It was a moment of joy, a moment of glory for us.
5000 साल की सभ्यता है, दुनिया में कोई मुकाबला नहीं कर सकता, हममें से कुछ लोग पता नहीं अपने रास्ते से क्यों हट जाते हैं। यह यंग माइंड्स को देखने की बात है। भारत 2047 में क्या होगा जब यह अपनी आजादी के 100 साल सेलिब्रेट करेगा उसके फुट सोल्जर आप लोग हो।Most of us on the dais and senior people here may not be around but we will be meeting our maker with supreme confidence that our rich human resource, our boys and girls are the best in the world and they will take India to the top in 2047.
हमने देखा है कुछ साल पहले भारत के पासपोर्ट का क्या स्तर था, भारतीय होने का क्या मतलब था, हालात बदल गए हैं, जो सोचा नहीं था वह जमीनी हकीकत है।
There is hardly a global reputable corporation that does not have a presence of an Indian mind. You will find an Indian genius contributing to the upsurge of that outfit.
हमने जो सॉफ्ट डिप्लोमेसी के पांच महत्वपूर्ण तत्व है उनको इस हद तक ले गए हैं कि आज भारत किसी का मोहताज नहीं है, दुनिया में भारत बात करता है विश्व शांति की, विश्व हित की and world is one family. One Earth One family is it also the Moto of G20.
I was elected to Parliament in 1989. I was a minister. I knew the situation then. To sustain our financial credibility, we had to send in physical form our gold by a plane outside. Now the International Monetary Fund says that India is the bright spot in the world for investment and opportunity.
We have improved our dignity, a facet of soft power diplomacy, we have improved our dialogue level, we are focusing on shared prosperity and why you want shared prosperity I'll tell you. More than 1.3 billion people were facing COVID pandemic and still our Bharat was helping 100 countries with Covaxin. That is our culture. We take the world as one family.
We were taking care of our problems and giving a healing touch by hand holding others. We care for global security and improving our cultural connection.
My young friends, what we did not have, you are having. You have an ecosystem now as a consequence of several governmental initiatives and affirmative policies, where you get an opportunity to fully expand and unleash your talent and energy. You can achieve your dreams and secure reality for your aspirations. And that is why India is home to unicorns and startups that have stunned the world at large.
The big change that has come, youngsters may not be fully aware, senior people here will be fully aware, our power corridors were infested by power brokers. Those power corridors have been sanitized. The institution of power brokers is dead. It can never revive. Transparency and accountability are the hallmarks of governance.
All this for one good reason. There is zero accommodation for corruption. I call upon young boys and girls, think, if someone is being booked for transgression of laws, corruption or crime, do you want that person to take to the streets or do you want him to go to a court of law?
You are thinking minds, you are the future of this Bharat. You have to mentor it, take it to the highest level. This culture must die down. You have to create an environment for it. Social media is one such opportunity.
I would reflect our justice system is very robust and performs at the highest level. The entire world is proud of the Indian system they are delivering. Our executive headed by the Prime Minister is delivering. We are having roads, railways, penetration of technology, we have world class structures. But when it comes to the legislature, your representatives, the scene is dismal. As Chairman, Rajya Sabha, I don't see debate, dialogue, discussion. I see disruption.
You have to create a system that you will appreciate those who deliver, those who vindicate their oath, those who live up to constitutional expectations. You would want your representative to exemplify conduct that can be emulated, that can inspire others. The Constituent Assembly, made for three years, gave us the constitution, not even once there was disruption. Not once there was disturbance and they dealt with very difficult issues, divisive issues, contentious issues. Now why I'm telling you, I'm telling you because your thought process, your contribution, your speaking out your mind, your getting out of the neutral gear, your giving up your silence, would matter, that what they do in the house, if they do not exemplify their conduct, the youth of the country is not happy and that will matter hugely. You know the status of the Supreme Court, you're happy that whatever be the difficulty, our Supreme Court delivers in the interest of the nation. The executive led by the Prime Minister is in overdrive to achieve achievements for you. Why should the legislature fail? Take a note of it.
फ्रेंड्स हम तो उस जमाने के हैं गांव में बिजली, सड़क नहीं थी, नल में पानी आने का मतलब ही नहीं था, टॉयलेट के लिए तो पूरा जोर था, पैदल जाते थे। गांव के अंदर कभी कोई गाड़ी आ गई गलती से तो मोर बहुत बोलते थे, बताते थे कि गांव में कोई गाड़ी आई है। वकालत में आए तो इंटरनेट नहीं था, सोशल मीडिया नहीं था, इस प्रकार के कंप्यूटर नहीं थे और मैनुअल टाइपराइटर था। हम कहां आ गए हैं ! Technological penetration in the country has gone down to the village. A moment of great pride for us.
11 करोड़ किसान इस देश के साल में तीन बार और अब तक 240000 करोड़ रुपए सीधे अपने बैंक अकाउंट में प्राप्त कर चुके हैं. I'm not on delivery, वह तो आपने इंप्रूव कर दी, रिसीव करने वाले की ताकत भी देखो यह कितना बड़ा चेंज आया है। When I take you to global statistics, in 2022, 46% of global digital transactions were in India. Our transactions, boys and girls please note, are four times the transactions of USA, UK, France and Germany taken together.
हम भारतीयों का दिमाग कुछ अजीब है, हमें कोई ना सिखाएं तो भी हम सीख जाते हैं, हम सब में एकलव्य का अंश है, बिना पढ़ाई तो भी हम सीख जाएंगे, इसी का नतीजा है per capita data consumption on internet हमारा USA or China दोनों को मिला ले तो भी उससे ज्यादा है। अब ऐसे हालत में सिर ऊँचा होना चाहिये। We have to be proud Indians, take pride in our historic phenomenon, unprecedented achievements. We have to always keep the nation first. This is not optional. This is the only way. And we should do this.
Friends, सितंबर 2022 का वह दिन में कभी नहीं भूल पाऊंगा, when Indian economy then took a quantum jump and we came at number five. So India became world's fifth largest global economy. That was a big achievement. A milestone achievement. पर कहते है न सोने पे सुहागा हमने पछाड़ा किनको, जिन्होंने सेकडों साल तक हम पर राज किया था। Have it from me, and no economist in the world disagrees with it that by turn of the decade, our nation will be the third largest global economy in the world ... by turn of the decade our Bharat will be the 3rd largest global economy in the world.
Friends, since you are with a particular discipline of management, it matters to you how the system hears, it matters to you how come it takes decisions? Are the decisions transparent? Are they accountable? Is their ease of governance? When I was governor the state of West Bengal, I was heading a group of 10 Governors and our job was to give a report on ease of governance. तो कानून की पढाई करने के साथ साथ मुझे मैनेजमेंट की पढाई उसमें करनी पड़ी, ये सब तो आप लोगो का काम है। You deal with your day in and day out. Those who are in business, trade Industry management, ये उनका काम है, दिक्कत आती है तो उन्हें पता लगता है की हमारा foreign joint venture क्यों नहीं हो पाया।
Friends, if I describe our Indian economic scenario at the moment, it has strong fundamentals and resilient framework, increased competitiveness, enhanced transparency, expanding digitization and the promotion of innovation. These have enabled India's upsurge and help prepare its incremental trajectory. And these are not words, they are on the ground.
आप में से जो लोग गांव से है, आजकल गांव के अंदर किसी की भी टिकट हो राम सिंह का बेटा कर देगा। पासपोर्ट के लिए अप्लाई करना है श्याम सिंह का पोता कर देगा। आपको कोई फॉर्म भरना है तो तुरंत कर देगा। Our villages have really become smart villages.
Look at the government, it got concept of aspirational districts and smart cities. कई लोग कहते हैं कि गवर्नमेंट का कांसेप्ट aspirational districts and smart cities का क्या है, आप समझोगे स्मार्ट सिटी का क्या मतलब है, आप किसी tier 3 city में जाएंगे और आपका इंटरनेट इफेक्टिवली काम करेगा, आप वर्क फ्रॉम होम कर पाओगे, तो आप कहोगे कि स्मार्ट सिटी है, कुछ लोग हैं जो स्मार्ट सिटी का कांसेप्ट, फिजिकल स्मार्टनेस से देखते हो, ऐसा नहीं है यही हाल aspirational districts का है। Big changes are taking place in this country.
My appeal to everyone is we must all subscribe to the concept of economic nationalism. अच्छा नहीं लगता जो चीज देश में बन सकती है, देश में बन रही है कुछ फायदे के लिए हम बाहर से मंगाते हैं, दीपावली के दीए मंगाते हैं, कैंडल मंगाते हैं, पतंग मंगाते हैं, फर्नीचर मंगाते हैं, यह सोच को बदलना होगा। For fiscal gain, we cannot compromise economic interests of the nation. The industry where you will be going, business and trade, will have to ensure we add value to our raw materials. We don't allow our raw materials to leave our source for someone else to monetize them, to capitalize on them.
Young boys and girls, एक नई प्रवृत्ति चालू हो गई है कि मैं चार गाड़ी रखूंगा क्योंकि मैं afford कर सकता हूं. I will use as much as water I want. I will use energy as much as I want. Now, we are trustees of natural resources. Use of natural resources cannot depend on my pocket power. We all have to optimally use our natural resources. Reckless use of natural resources is not an activity of national interest but a culture has be to developed by us. एक बार डेवलप कर लेंगे, समझ आ जाएगा और यह इतना बड़ा काम आप लोगों के अलावा कोई नहीं कर सकता। Each of you present here is a nerve center, epicenter of positive change.
आपको आंकाना है जो भारत की राइज़् हो रही है, इसमें न्यूटन का थर्ड प्रिंसिपल आ गया है। Every action has a reaction. जो भी भारत विरोधी ताकतें हैं, देश में और देश के बाहर उनकी एपेटाइट भारत की ग्रोथ के लिए बहुत कमजोर है, उनका हाजमा बिगड़ गया है, वह दिन-रात यह सोचते हैं कि भारत की ग्रोथ को कालिख कैसे लगाई जाए। बेवजह के मुद्दे उठाना अनर्गल बातें करना हमारी संस्थाओं पर टिप्पणी करना, अरे खिड़की खोलो... let the winds of change blow . और देखो हम कहां हैं, हमारे आस पड़ोस का क्या हाल है, पूरी दुनिया नतमस्तक है और फिर भी हम में से कुछ लोग परेशान हैं। राजनीति को भारत के विकास से कभी नहीं जोड़ना चाहिए। जो लोग राजनीति की फील्ड में हैं, उनको राजनीति करने का पूरा अधिकार है। उन्हें अपनी राजनीति करने दीजिए... but when it comes to national development, national issues we must rise above politics.
नेशनल एजुकेशन पॉलिसी... तीन दशक के बाद व्यापक मंथन चिंतन के पश्चात नेशनल एजुकेशन पॉलिसी बनी, कुछ लोग कहते हैं हम लागू नहीं करेंगे, यह किसी राजनीतिक दल की पॉलिसी नहीं है, यह भारत की पॉलिसी है, सोच समझ कर बनाई गई है, क्यों बनाई गई है, हमें याद आता है कि नालंदा थी, तक्षशिला थी, उच्च स्तर पर पहुंचना है इसलिए बनाई गई है। डिग्री तो बहुत लोगों को मैनेजमेंट स्कूल में मिलती है पर आपके यहां जिसको मैंने डिग्री दी, मेडल दिया कोई डिलॉइट में जा रहा है कोई अर्नेस्ट एंड यंग में जा रहा है, आप लोगों का जो लगाव है फिक्की के साथ एसोचैम के साथ I was very delighted because a boy and girl walking out of this institute first and foremost must has his or her hands full.
I conclude by quoting timeless mantra given by Swami Vivekananda:
"Arise, awake, and stop not until the goal is reached."
Bharat at 2047 - the destiny is in your hands. It is in safe hands. It is in the hands of people who believe in Bharat and will ever make our Bharat proud.
Thank you so much!